Thursday, July 31, 2008

Over the past, almost, 30 years I have had the privilege of meeting and providedquality Leather Tack for some of the top Trainers in the performance Horse Industry.

What has been a treat for me is to watch the careers of some of the young Trainersgrow and continue to use our durable Horse Tack, as they "put in their Time andclimbed the Ladder to Success".

One young man is currently Training Fine Cutting Horses in Weatherford Texas.I have known Jonathan Bartok since his early teens, when he was living in Orland, Californiaand under the tutelage of Todd Bimat. Jonathan has been using our Reins and Headstalls for all these years and I enjoyed interviewing him the other day.

Find out what he thinks about Buckaroo Leather Horse Tack.

LISTEN HEREClick on the left Button to Start

Here's an Action shot of Jonathan Bartok on his Mare, CE Tammy Ray, at the Silver State Rodeo in Fallon Nevada, Summer 1998

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Larger horses, Mules and Drafthorses are becoming more popularby the day....

There is a large demand now for tackand equipment that fits.....

They all have heads longer and broaderacross the brow with larger throats....

Mules have a narrower chest and need thetype of breast collar that fits up above theirshoulders and usually need an over the neckstrap to hold the breast collar up in the bestpulling position.....

And of course Drafts and Draft crosses arelarger all over.....

So with more and more requestsBuckaroo Leather has added a line ofTack to fit in the same Top Quality Americanmade Tradition it is respected for....

Our family has been dedicated for 28 years in servingthe western horseman the safest most durable QualityAmerican made leather horse tack.......Please take a moment to leave a comment(just click on the word comments below each post)with any questions or suggestions on future posts youwould like to see talked about.

Monday, July 7, 2008

Chaps(pronounced "shaps" and short for chaparajos) were originated as a protective garment worn by cowboys in brushy areas. There are many reasons for the use of chaps from decorative to practical. This study will include the origin as well as the practical uses of chaps.

Chaps originated in Spain and Mexico. The first known use of them was for riders to wear when working cattle. They were two large pieces of cowhide that were used to form a protective shield over both the riders legs as well as the horse's chest. Hooking onto the saddles horn, they served both purposes well, but were bulky and hard to work with; therefore chaps were conceived.

Batwings - Originally the most prevalent type of chaps were batwings. These chaps were mostly just an outer layer of leather, usually with three clasps to hold them on the leg. One clasp was near the top of the leg, one behind the knee and one around mid calf.

You will see batwings in most early westerns and western art. Frederick Remington and Charles Russell probably never heard of shotgun chaps which are more common today. Batwing chaps could keep a cowboy's legs safe from brambles and brush, but they weren't a lot of help keeping the legs warm in cold weather.

Batwings mostly gave way to shotgun chaps in the mid 20th century; however batwings are still popular today among rodeo cowboys for the decorative value as well as the fact that they flop around so much during a ride that they can help show good spurring traits.

Shotgun - Shotgun chaps tend to be more fitted to the individual than batwings. They are formed from leather, usually with a zipper to zip up and encase each leg, as if in armor. Shotguns can be used to keep warm in cold weather as well as protection from thorns and brush.

Both kinds of chaps are also useful in a branding corral protecting against all kinds of dangers such as vaccination needles and hot branding irons.

Chinks(short for chinkaderos) - Chinks came along in the latter part of the 20th century and have grown quite popular, although there are still pockets of holdouts here and there. Chinks have been called "cowboy shorts" by some individuals who don't want to change, but they are quite practical for the working cowboy.

Usually made in a similar fashion to shotguns, chinks are simply cut off around knee to mid-calf level, and have fringe around the outer edge. Much more comfortable in warm weather, chinks, like batwings and shotguns, serve a purpose in the cowboy life style. Since most cowboys wear boots that come up near the knee, chinks protect the area above the boot.

Chapsare also useful for other reasons. Leather chaps stick to a leather saddle or a bareback horse better than do fabric trousers and help the rider stay in the saddle.